Conductor, conduit, and collector for electricity on railways.



PATENTEI) JAN. 13, 1903. R. c. SAYER'. CONDUCTOR, 'GONDUIT, AND COLLECTOR FOR ELECTRICITY 0N RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 7, 1901.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

TNE "cams PETERS co. PHOTKFUTHCL, WASHKNGTON. o. c.

No. 718,220. I PATENTED JAN. 13, 1903;

3.0. SAYBR. CONDUCTOR, GONDUIYT, AND COLLECTOR FOR ELECTRICITY 0N RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 7, 1901. N0 MODEL. -5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

f 1515 lllllll/llg Tuzwonms nrrzns co. more Limo. WASHINGI'UN, o4

- No. 718,220. PATEN'IIEDJAN.13 190s.

R. 0! SAYER. GONDUGTOR, GONDUIT, AND COLLEGTOR'FOR ELECTRICITY 0N RAILWAYS;

APPLICATION FILED 0017, 1901.

110 110mm. 5 exams-sums;

No. 718,220. PATENTED JAN. 13 1903.

* 11.0. SAYE-R. GONDUGTOR, GONDUIT, AND COLLECTOR FOR ELECTRICITY ONRAILWAYS.

APPLIGATION IILED OCT. 7, 190 1. N0 MODEL.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

Nam-8,220. .PATENTED JAN.'13 190s.

3. Q. s'AY R. GONDUGIOR,'GONDUIT, AND COLLECTOR FOR BLEGTRIGITY'ON RAILWAYS.

n MODEL. APPLICATION FILED OQT. 7Y 1901.

d ll V 7 5' SHEET llNiTED STATES PATENT CFFIGE.

ROBERT oooKE SA-YER, OF BRISTOL, ENGLAND.

CONDUCTOR, CONDUIT, AND COLLECTOR FOR ELECTRICITY ON RAILWAYS.

- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 718,220, dated Januar-y 13, 1903.

Application filed October 7,1901. Serial No. 77,925- (No model.) C

To all whom/it mayoonccrn:

Be it known that I, ROBERT COOKE SAYER, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at 11 Clyde road, Redland,

Bristol, England, have invented certain newv and useful Improvements in or Connected with Conductors, Conduits, and Collectors for Electricity on Railways and the Like; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. This invention has for its object to provide a means for picking up current'from a conductor situated within the walls of a closed tubular rail, there being neither slot nor surface contact, and comprises a wheel carried on a vehicle in which chambers with plungers that can slide are mounted on pivots sliding in suitably-shaped guide-slots inthe wheel, so that the plungers depress valves in the tubular rail and then make contact with the conductors in the rail.

This invention has further for its object to provide a joint for the tubular rail comprising chambers with expansible fluid-actuating taps in the rail, so that when a rail is to be removed the taps are automatically closed to retain the pressure in the adjacent rails.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the wheel and rail-in their relative positions; Fig. 2, a cross-section at A A, Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a plan of part'of a rail and a joint; Figs. 4, 5, and 6, crosssections at B B O C D D, Fig.3; Fig.7, a vertical section of the rail joint and valves; Fig. 8, a horizontal section at E E, Fig. 7; Fig. 9, a sectional plan of a rail-joint elastic cushion at F F, Fig. 10; Figs. 10 and 11, sections at G G, Fig. 9; .Fig. 12, a section at H H, Fig. 9; Fig. 13, a section at J J, Fig. 14:; Fig. 14, a section at.K K, Fig. 13; Fig. 15, a sectional elevation at L L, Fig. 13; Fig. 16, a sectional elevation at M M, Fig. 13; Figs. 17, 18, and 19, sections at N N O 0 PP, Fig. 14; Fig. 20, a section at Q Q, Fig. 1. Fig. 21 is a detail view of the spindle and its attachments.

The wheel 0. is formed of two duplicate sides a and a a periphery a having alternate beveled teeth a and a and a fixed axle a hollow elastic cushion-chambers I), having pivots b an inner tube 22, two pin-valves b, a valve-seat piece 19 and closing-screw 6 to the threads of which a pump is screwed for charging when the plug-screw Z9 is removed and the Wheel turned to bring the spindle b central with Z9 The chambers are formed of a cup 19 split at b to spring outwardly for its projections'to clip and rest upon a spring-ring I)", previously inserted into the chamber 1) and resting on its stop b The cup b has a stop 1) outside the chamber 1) and within a spring-ring 19 a cup packing-ring b insulator c, screwed to a projecting plunger c of insulating material, brush-conductor c telescopic conductors c and 0 secured by a screw-nut 0 forming a brush-contact c to always keep in contact with the ring 0 secured by rivets c to the side a of the wheel. This ring has radial conductors 0 leading where required. The negative current returns by radial conductors d, Figs. 1 and 2, a ring d Fig. 14, spring-bushes d and d on the outside of the chamber 2) to make contact with a brush (i carried on the plunger 0 The pivots b are mounted in slide-blocks Z9 and 6 having straight sides and faces to fit and slide in the guide-slots 2, formed in the sides a and a of the wheel, as shown. A

spring-ring b covers I) over the slots z, able to lap and ride over one another, a collar 1) integral with or keyed to links I9 that hinge on bell-cranks e. The cranks e center on the sides a and a at e and are hinged to stirruplinks f. These latter hinge on trunnions 9,

that carry pins 9 to slide in slots 9 in the sides a and a a base-plate g and pins 9* to carry rollers g to rotate as they traverse a cam-path h, fixed on the axle a? when driven by the sides a and a acting on the pins 9 to give oscillatingv motions to the pivots b the slide-blocks b and I), and the chambers b, that are protected by a guard a The rail has alternate teeth a and a spaced and formed to match theteeth a and a of the wheel a valve-chambers j, with valves made tight by pressure inthe tube is, thrusting the packed seats f against the tube and by a passage 3' communicating with an annular chamber 3' formed between an elastic insulating packing-ringj and a rigid flanged ring j to thrust the ring 3' against the walls of the valve-chamberj. The walls of the railtube It carry positive electric conductors land negative conductors m, both of which have branches which are carried up the'walls of the valve-chambersj at Z and m Main feedconductors 11, protected under the hood of the rail, connect the conductor Z with the generator. The rails when not continuous are hinged, Figs. 6 to 12. The upper part of one tube 70 projects over the lower part of the other to form chambers 70 and it, having curved sockets, as shown in Fig. 8, to form when put together with the screw-cap k and set-screw a hinge having lateral play for sluing limited by the splayed ends 70 and 76 and the fish-plate k Fig. 6. The chambers 76* and it have taps 7t and k to admit the pressure from the tubes 70 through the pipes 71: and 75 The chambers 768 and 70 com municate with one another through the interstices around the spindle 70 The levers k of the taps are worked by the spindle 70 through its arms 75 and 7c" and fluid-pressure cushion-chambers 0 and n, which are formed similarly to the chambers b, Figs. 9 to 12. The chamber 0 has an outer case 0 stop 0 pin-valve o to admit pressure, a cup 0 serrated at 0 a port 0 closed by a fiat valve 0 secured at 0 a stop 0 a split ring 0 with a recess 0. The cushion-chamber n is formed similarly; but instead ofan inlet-valve o it has an outlet-valve n kept closed by a spring a Fig. 12.

The working is as follows: The rail-tube 7c, chambers (9,11,, and 0 having compressed elas tic fluid so that the plunger 0 of chamber 1) is able to thrust in the valvesj and the cushion-chamber n to thrust in the cushion-chamher 0 and the wheel a being suspended clear of the rail for the teeth a and a to engage with the teeth 6& and a of the rail, so that power in the wheel can thrust it along and be guided laterally by the teeth, or if the wheel be free and thrust along the rail teeth rotate it and gives motion by the pins 9 in the slots g to the rollers g to traverse the cam-path h and actuatethe slirrupsfficranks 6, links 12 and pivots b to traverse the slots .2 for the straight sides of the slide-blocks Z1 and Z2 to meet the straight ends of the slots .2 and turn the chamberb to alight upon a valvej at B, Fig. 1, in a vertical position, and so rest while the Wheel passes on and brings the other ends of the slots .2 up to it, when it is raised off the valve at T, so that during the period the plunger rests on the valvej it thrusts the valve down to expose the positive conductor branch Z for the brush 0 Fig. 14, to make contact for a current to pass from the generator the conductors p Z Z c c o c 0 ring a and radial conductor c to a motor or for other purpose, it also exposes the negative conductor branch m for the brush (1 to make contact for a current to pass from the motor or other part to the conductors d, Fig. 2, ring d brushes (1 and 61*, Fig. 14, contacts (1 branch m conductor m, and the generator. Should the rail-guards on the car have missed a thin but strong obstruction placed on a rail-valve and the plunger 0 alights upon it, the plunger 0 and its parts are thrust into the chamber 1) against the pressure in it,which reprojects the plunger 0 to acton the next valve, as before. At the joints of the rails the conductors Z and m overlap, Figs. 6 and S, and retain contact as the hinge Works. The rail-joints are put together after the cushionchambers o and a are put into place and secured by the screw-cap 70 and set-screw 70 The screwed cap 70 closes the chambers 70 and 7c, thrusts the cushion-chamber "it down and the levers k by the spindle 70 and arms 7c and 7e" and admits the pressure from the tube It through the taps k and 70 collapses the cushionchamber 0, as shown, and brings the valve 0 Fig. 11, opposite the recess 0 into which it is thrust, and enables the pressure of the tube 70 to enter chamber 0. Should a rail and its chambers 70 and 7t leak, the pressure in chamber 0 closes the valve 0 and expands against the lower pressure in chamber 01 and collapses it, actuates the spindle 7e arms 10 and it", and levers 7c, and closes the taps 75 and k When a rail retaining its pressure is taken out, the chambers k and 7t exhaust through a passage 70 which is provided to prevent the cap 70 blowing out when it leaves its thread, but the pressure in the adjacent rails is retained as above. In order that the rails a and wheel a may be adapted to the working of cars suspended from the rail a", they are suspended upside down, their flanges 70 and 7t are made horizontal, carry wheels or rollers to run upon them, and by proper bearings upon their spindles they carry the wheel a for its teeth to engage with those of the rail, as above explained, to drive and guide the car or act as a free wheel when the wheels upon the flanges k guide.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A wheel formed as box with sides and a periphery suspended over a rail, a hollow toothed rail, teeth on the wheel to engage with teeth on the rail, slots in the wheel, slideblocks in slots, a pivot mounted on the slideblocks a chamber mounted on the pivot, a fixed cam acting on the slide-blocks, a valve in the hollow rail, the slots and slide'blocks and cam being so formed that on the rotation of the wheel the chamber is thrust down and meets and opens on the valve in a vertical position and remains in this verticalposition until withdrawn by the further rotation of the wheel.

2. A Wheel formed as a box with sides and a periphery suspended over a rail, a hollow toothed rail, teeth on the wheel to engage with teeth on the rail, slots in the wheel, slideblocks in slots, a pivot mounted on the slideblocks, a chamber mounted on the pivot, a fixed cam acting on the slide-blocks, a valve in the hollow rail, conductors within insulating-walls of the tube and having insulated branches in the walls of the valve, conductors provided with contacts in the chamber, the slots and slid e-blocks and cam being so formed that on the rotation of the wheel the chamber is thrust down and meets and opens on the valve in the vertical position and remains in this vertical position until withdrawn by the further rotation of the wheel and at the same time the connection is made between the conductors in the rail and on the chamber.

3. A Wheel suspended over or touching a tubular rail, teeth on the wheel to engage with teeth in the rail formed to keep the wheel laterally in the direction of the rail; slots in the sides of the wheel, a pivot passing through a slot in the sides of the wheel hinged to links and one arm of a bell-crank centering on the wheel whose other arm is hinged to a stirruplink connected to a trunnion -hinge, baseplate, and pins carrying rollers able to traverse, above and below, a fixed cam-path carried on a fixed axle of the wheel; a pin on the said trunnions passing into a radial slot on each side of the wheel and driving the rollers with the wheel, the stirrups, cranks and links being actuated by the eccentricity of the campath, to cause the pivot to traverse the slots in the wheel as it rotates; the slots and the pivot and its bearing-blocks guided in them being so formed that a chamber carried on the pivot-is directed for its bottom plunger to successively meet one of properlydistanced valves in the rail in a vertical position, and allow the wheel and its slots to pass on while the plunger and its chamber are held on the valve; and after leaving the rail-valve, and before meeting the next the chamber. and pivot are traversed back along the slots to their former position ready to act similarly, substantially as described.

4. At theends of tubular rails,afished hinged joint formed by part of one rail overlapping that of the other, connected byscrew-caps and bolts; chambers in the lapped ends stop-taps with levers in the chambers; a spindle with arms connecting the levers; fluid-pressure cushion-chambers able to alternately open and close the taps by means of the spindle and arms when charged with different pressures at different times and by the pressure from the rail-tubes,-a means for closing the connecting-valves on the leakage in a railsection, a means for closing the connectingvalves when one rail-section is removed and a means for keeping continuity of the electric tube-rail, conductors through. the railjoints, substantially as described.

5. A box-wheel 0. with a fixed axle a sus pended over or under, a rail a, for teeth a and a to engage with teeth a and of of the rail; on the axle a a fixed cam-pathh on the wheel a rollers g to traverse the campath it carried on pins 9 formed in-one with parts 9 g in slots 9 and g carrying stirrups f; bell-cranks e centering on the wheel 0, at 6 links 6 hinging on bell-cranks e and a pivot 19 with bearing-blocks Z1 and 17 within and able to traverse slotsz in the wheel a each formed to suit the other to turn the pivot 19 and its chamber 1) as they traverse the slot 2, a means in pivot 19 to charge the chamber b with pressure; forming the chamber b cylindrically and to act as an elastic fluid-pressure cushion, with a cup b formed with springs 19 to rest on a split ring b that rests on the stop Z2 a stop b on the cup 5 a split ring 5 a cup'packing 19 and insulater 0 carrying the plunger 0 by a screwthread, able to be thrust within the chamber 19, a guard a and covers I)"; on the rail a valve-chambers j, valves j a tube with fluid-pressure in it to act on the valves 7' to keep them tight by packed seats j elastic insulating flange-ring 7' rigid flange-ring 3' chamberj and passages 7' connecting 7c and j"; hinge-joints to the rails, having chambers 10 and 70 connecting screw-cap 70 and-bolt It, ends k and 79 splayed, or not toallow lateral play, and a fish-plate k taps 7a and 7.4 in the chambers k and k to admit pres sure from the tube 70; levers Z0 to the taps 70 and is able to be worked by parts 70 70 and k" and fluid-pressure collapsible cushionchambers o and n, chamber 0 having parts 0 and 0 an inlet-valve 0 a cup 0 cut at 0 a port 0 a valve 0 a stop 0 a split ring 0 and a recess 0 an exit-valven in the cushion-chamber n, instead of an inlet, and different pressure to cushion-chamber 0; on the wheel and rail and their parts insulated positive electric conductors 19, Z, Z 0 c c 0 0 ring 0 and arms 0 connecting a generatingstation to a motor, or other part; and its return insulated negative conductors d, ring (1 brushes (1 and d contact 01 branch m and conductor m of the rail a to the generator substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT OOOKE SAYER.

, Witnesses:

W. SEFToN CLARKE, LIONEL A. WILSON. 

